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Ramadan Kareem everyone! That’s the typical greeting here during the holy month of Ramadan which started today. During Ramadan, muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and they don’t even drink anything or smoke. It’s an effort to purify the mind and the body so that more effort is put into the individual’s relationship with God. This means that restaurants are closed during the day, and you are not allowed to be seen outside in public eating or drinking during the day. At work it means that coffee makers, water fountains and anything else drink or food related has been taken away, and staff can only eat in the staff coffee room. Working hours are also cut, and many businesses are open from 9 or 10 to just after lunch.

In my hometown’s paper in Sweden, 29 year old Said Hassan says he’s happy Ramadan is here. He says he’s longed for this day for eleven long months, and he’s counting on being tired during the days but the solution is to take a nap during the day. The tiredness is more than made up by the satisfaction to celebrate Ramdan. “To not eat or drink, that is good for my health, for my stomach”, says Said. He gets up around four in the morning in order to eat a good meal before the sun comes up. During the evening he eats several times, different types of food each time.

Today starts Ramadan for the Muslims.� This is a special time of blessing and becoming closer to God or Allah.

According to FactMonster.com
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar—that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays “move” each year. In 2006 Ramadan will begin on Sept. 23.

For more than a billion Muslims around the world—including some 8 million in North America—Ramadan is a “month of blessing” marked by prayer, fasting, and charity. This year Ramadan precedes Christmas and Hanukkah. But while in many places these holidays have become widely commercialized, Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to Allah (God).

Why this Month?

Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., a caravan trader named Muhammad took to wandering the desert near Mecca (in today’s Saudi Arabia) while thinking about his faith. One night a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah. In the days that followed, Muhammad found himself speaking the verses that would be transcribed as the Qur’an.

At many mosques during Ramadan, about one thirtieth of the Qur’an is recited each night in prayers known as tarawih. In this way, by the end of the month the complete scripture will have been recited.

Fasting

Muslims practice sawm, or fasting, for the entire month of Ramadan. This means that they may eat or drink nothing, including water, while the sun shines. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam. As with other Islamic duties, all able Muslims take part in sawm from about age twelve.

During Ramadan in the Muslim world, most restaurants are closed during the daylight hours. Families get up early for suhoor, a meal eaten before the sun rises. After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. Iftar usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost.

Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers.

Eid al-Fitr

Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which in 2006 occurs on Oct. 24. Literally the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family.

A sense of generosity and gratitude colors these festivities. Although charity and good deeds are always important in Islam, they have special significance at the end of Ramadan. As the month draws to a close, Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques.

Other links with information on Ramadan:

Wikipedia�

Ramadan.co.uk (a place for all information for Ramadan, they have ecards for Ramadan greetings and activities for the kids.)

Islamicity.com�

Magnus and I hope that these links help with understanding of Ramadan.� We also wish all Muslims a blessed Ramadan, Ramadan Kareem.

Gulf News:

Centre-right leader Fredrik Reinfeldt yesterday started work on forming a coalition government in Sweden yesterday after ending 12 years of Social Democrat rule with vows to cut taxes and trim the welfare state.

Reinfeldt, 41, will become prime minister after leading a four-party alliance to what he called an historic election victory on Sunday. He said it created “a new Sweden” that broke the Social Democrats’ long domination of Swedish politics.

Reinfeldt will take over from Social Democrat Goran Persson, 57, who oversaw strong economic growth in 10 years as prime minister but failed to overcome voter fatigue and accusations that he had lost touch with ordinary people. “The alliance has redrawn the map,” liberal newspaper Dagens Nyheter said.

Aftonbladet, the biggest selling daily, added: “Sweden is today waking up to a new political landscape.”

Portfolios

The coalition was due to start discussions on the distribution of government portfolios yesterday although the cabinet will not be presented to parliament until October 6.

Sweden’s strong economy is likely to give him leeway for the reforms he wants to carry out. He has vowed to make the welfare state more work friendly by cutting benefits that decrease the incentive to get a job, and reduce taxes that make it less profitable to work.

The four-party bloc led by Reinfeldt’s Moderate Party won 48.1 per cent of votes on Sunday against 46.2 per cent for Persson and his allies.

Reinfeldt and his partners in the Folk Liberal Party, the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats have 178 seats in the 349-seat parliament, a slim majority of seven seats.

It was the first time in 25 years the centre-right had won a majority and the best performance by the Moderates since 1928.

The Swedish crown firmed in early trade to 9.18 to the euro from 9.21 on Friday, while shares in companies where the centre-right has vowed to sell stakes rose on the bourse.

The vote for Reinfeldt is not seen as a rejection by people of the “Swedish Model” of a strong welfare state with a dose of capitalism, rather an acceptance that it needs to be fine tuned.

Reinfeldt has said there are many good things in the Swedish model, but that a mesh of benefits has sapped the will to work.

He puts the real level of unemployment at 20 per cent, almost four times the official rate, despite economic growth of 5.5 per cent in the second quarter, its fastest for six years.

He says the welfare state changes he wants are aimed at getting more in work and preserve the system for the future.

The incoming prime minister favours Sweden joining Nato if there is broad agreement.

He wants Sweden more involved in the EU but has no plans for a referendum on the euro currency in the next four years. Swedes rejected adopting the euro in 2003.

As well as good growth, Reinfeldt inherits state finances that are in good shape and low inflation, although the central bank is raising rates to ward off future price pressures.

Gulf News:

Twelve years of Social Democratic rule came to an end following Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt’s victory in Sweden’s historic election on Sunday.

According to almost complete results from Sweden’s Election Commission, Reinfeldt’s party won 48.1 per cent of votes to 46.2 per cent for Social Democrat Prime Minister Goran Persson and his allies.

“Tomorrow we will wake up to a new Sweden,” Reinfeldt said “We campaigned as the New Moderates, we won as the New Moderates and together with our alliance partners we will rule Sweden as the New Moderates.”

Persson was one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders after 10 years in office. Many people voted for change in the country, aiming to bring about fresh ideas.

The Moderate Party vows to cut taxes and trim back the welfare state to boost employment.

An article at BBC talks about Sweden as a multi-cultural society, where 12% fo the population is born outside of the country:

“I speak Swedish, Arabic, Kurdish, Persian and English with my friends,” says Ammar Mamand, a 12-year-old Kurdish boy living in Malmo, southern Sweden.

“But in class it’s only Swedish and English.”

The city of 270,000 has a diversity of cultures unlike any other in Sweden - 34% of its inhabitants have a foreign background. Many came from the former Yugoslavia, followed more recently by Iraqis and Somalis. Increasing numbers of Danes are also moving to Malmo.

Sweden has opted for multiculturalism, rejecting the assimilation model of neighbouring Denmark, which has one of Europe’s toughest policies on immigration.

Almost 12% of Sweden’s nine million people were born abroad - a high percentage compared with other countries in Western Europe and a significant block of voters in Sunday’s general election.

Immigration has not figured prominently in the election campaign, as the main parties focused on jobs.

The two issues are related, however, as many immigrants will be hoping that the next Swedish government delivers more jobs. The official unemployment rate is nearly 6% - but the opposition claims it is higher.

Gulf News:

Exclusive Swedish gunmaker VO yesterday announced the first item in its new Royal collection a handcrafted hunting rifle ornately engraved with 24-carat gold and dedicated to Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

“This, in order to honour the man who moulded the people that gave me the inspiration and courage to realise my dream,” said Ulf Olsson, Gunsmith, VO Gun and Rifle maker.

“Together with my son, I decided to build something the world had never seen before a collection of exclusive hunting rifles called VO Royal Collection, the King of Rifles,” he told Gulf News on the sidelines of the International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition here.

For the first rifle in the collection, VO chose its own specially designed barrel profile, octagon with band. The engraving is hard to describe in words and must be experienced and studied closely, said Olsson.

“The scroll engraving is full of Arabic influences, and with its remarkable background in 24 carat gold, the rifle is a work of art.”

All metal parts and the upper parts of the barrels are covered with the scroll engraving in gold.

Future rifles in the collection will be decorated by royalty and members of royal families all over the world.

During his years as a gunsmith, Olsson dreamed of making an exclusive collection of hunting rifles built for royalty. “A collection that unites royal families and countries all over the world and now my dream has come true.”

During last year’s exhibition in Abu Dhabi, VO sold a rifle in the VO Big Five Edition 2005 series to General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The rifle was priced at $295,000 (more than Dh1 million).

Future rifles will be dedicated to their respective owners through exclusive portrait engravings. “In this way, every rifle in the series will be unique, but will also be a part of the collection all to create a feeling of community and togetherness between countries all over the world,” said Olsson.

All rifles made by VO are handmade and custom designed rifles for hunters worldwide. “We make about 12 rifles a year,” revealed Olsson.

The nearly three-decade old company has so far made 2,000 rifles and guns. Customers include royal family members and celebrities in Sweden, Germany, Ukraine, UAE and other places.

You may ask yourself, what city in the US is the most wired, or you may not care. LOL� Most people would probably think it was New York, LA, or San Francisco, but you would be wrong. :-)�

Well in case you where wondering New York came in at number 12 and San Francisco came in at number four.� The most wired city is the great southern city of Atlanta.� Now whom would have thought a city in the South would out do the greats like San Francisco and New York.� Well most southerners would say that the south will rise again, and maybe this is the way.� Oh and by the way the second most wired city is another southern city, Orlando.

Read more of Forbes.com’s survey of America’s most wired cities, at MSNBC

EmiratesToday:

Stockholm-based fashion retail brand H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) launched its first two stores in the UAE yesterday in a franchising agreement with MH Alshaya, one of the Middle East’s leading retail groups.
While the Mall of the Emirates will house the first two H&M stores (one targeted at families and the other at the youth), the third store in the UAE will open in Ibn Batuta Mall on September 13. The fourth store will open in Kuwait’s Marina Mall on September 20.

“We have many more H&M stores planned for the Middle East market. Although we cannot share all the details just yet, all we can say is we are here to stay,” Kristina Stenvinkel, the global Corporate Communications head for H&M, told Emirates Today.

H&M, which has a network of more than 1,200 stores in 22 countries, specialises in high quality fashion collections for women and men of all age groups.

There are several concepts within this, consisting of modern basics, current fashions and clothes that reflect the latest international trends. And the collections are supplemented by matching accessories. It also has its own brand of cosmetics Meanwhile, Alshaya group’s retail portfolio comprises more than 42 retail brands operating through more than 1,000 retail outlets across the Middle East, Turkey and Russia. “We have 400 more retail stores planned in the Middle East next year,” said Mohammed A Alshaya, Chief Executive Officer of M H Alshaya group.

“This is a much-awaited time for the fashion and retail industry in the Middle East. There is a huge market potential for H&M and M H Alshaya enjoys the regional knowledge and retailing expertise. The wide assortment on offer coupled with the introduction of new garments into the store everyday makes it quite a unique offering within the Middle East,” he added.

“We are very proud to open our first stores in this fast growing region with high fashion awareness and spending power,” echoed H&M’s CEO, Rolf Eriksen.

Covering a very wide variety of sectors, some of the other global brands in M H Alshaya portfolio include Debenhams, Bhs, Next, Claire’s Accessories, Boots, MAC, and Starbucks.

It seems that the Sweds have come up with a new car, that every little or big boy will only dream about. ;-)� It seems that the new Koenigsegg CCX goes 0-60 MPH in a blistering 3.1 seconds, and may prove to be the fastest production car in the United States.

Read more at ABC News.com.

The Swedish-made Koenigsegg CCX is an engineering marvel goes 0-60 mph in a blistering 3.1 seconds with an estimated top speed of almost 260 mph. The 806-horsepower, 2,200-pound carbon fibre Super Car runs the standing quarter mile in just nine seconds at 146 mph.

The powerful engine housed in the U.S. Koenigsegg CCX retains the incredible power and performance of the European CCR engine, which once held the Guinness Book of World Records title as the world’s fastest production car ever.

A $695,000 ‘Bargain’

The Koenigsegg CCX is brand new to the American market. The first 30 or so will be shipped to their buyers over the course of 2007.

The owner of Exotic Cars in Las Vegas, Koenigsegg’s exclusive U.S. dealer, assures me that at $695,000, it’s a bargain. He points out that a Veyron, probably the CCX’s closest competition in the supercar world, will run you around $1.2 million.